John Dudley: Bills GM Whaley gambles in trade for Watkins

Quick reactions to the Bills', Browns' and Steelers' first picks in Thursday's opening round of the NFL Draft ...

- Bills general manager Doug Whaley put himself out there for whoever buys the team by dealing a 2015 first-round pick to move up five spots and take Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins.

Watkins was widely considered to be the best wideout in the draft, but he's no lock to be Calvin Johnson, or even Kevin Johnson.

But at least for now, barring another trade that would get them back into next year's first round or an exceptionally strong 2014 season, Whaley spent two top picks to get him.

If Watkins is as good as advertised, then the Bills will have made EJ Manuel a much better quarterback in his second season and given the offense the chance to be as dynamic as second-year coach Doug Marrone believes it can be.

If not, they will have taken a major step back, and Whaley might very well have put his job on the line.

- The Browns acquired the Bills' No. 1 pick next season, moved down five spots, then moved back up one and still landed the best cornerback in the draft in Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert.

Gilbert will slide in opposite Joe Haden and give the Browns the potential for one of the top cover corner tandems in a league where you can never have enough quality depth in the secondary.

It was the Browns' third deal of the night that will prove to be the most memorable -- one way or another.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel's selection at No. 22 after a trade with Philadelphia is a make-or-break move. Manziel seems destined to be either a star or a flameout -- with no middle ground. One thing Manziel has going for him is inventive offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system.

- For awhile it appeared the Steelers might trade down.

Instead they sat tight at No. 15 and made a quintessential Steelers pick by taking Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, who will add much-needed depth at a position where the Steelers have been decimated over the past few seasons. In hindsight, the departures of James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley the past two offseasons virtually guaranteed the Steelers would take an edge-rushing linebacker early in the draft.

When Shazier was still sitting there, with his unofficial 4.36 speed, nose for the ball and Big Ten pedigree, he was too good to pass up.

Even with their other needs -- particularly at wideout and along the defensive line -- the Steelers again elected to get younger and more talented at linebacker after selecting Jarvis Jones 17th overall in 2013.